Former Afghanistan skipper Asghar Afghan recently shared an amusing story involving Indian cricket icon MS Dhoni from the 2018 Asia Cup encounter. Following Afghanistan’s explosive batsman Mohammad Shahzad’s stellar performance in the match against India, Afghan, in a post-match chat with Dhoni, disclosed Shahzad’s admiration for the Indian cricket maestro.
Dhoni humorously responded that if Shahzad could shed 20 kilograms, he might contemplate selecting him for the IPL. This light-hearted banter unfolded after Shahzad’s remarkable innings in the Asia Cup clash, where he earned the Player of the Match award.
In the memorable Dubai showdown, Shahzad displayed his batting prowess with an impressive 124 runs off 116 balls, contributing to Afghanistan’s competitive total of 252/8. The pursuit of the target saw India being all out for 252 in 49.5 overs, resulting in a thrilling tie.
Reflecting on the conversation with MS Dhoni in an interview with Times of India, Asghar Afghan warmly recollected, “After the match ended in a tie, I had a lengthy conversation with MS Dhoni. He’s an exceptional captain and a boon to Indian cricket. He’s a good soul. We delved into Mohammad Shahzad quite a bit. I informed Dhoni bhai that Shahzad is a big fan of his. Dhoni mentioned that Shahzad has a big tummy, and if he loses 20 kg, he would consider picking him in the IPL. However, when Shahzad returned to Afghanistan after the series, he gained an additional 5 kgs.”
